Cheat Sheet to the Athalia of Britain and Ireland
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Cheat Sheet to Athalia species of Britain and Ireland The characteristics listed here are a rule of thumb field guide and does not account for the many variants that you may encounter. If in doubt, key it out! Athalia rosae 1 Lateral and ventral faces of thorax entirely orange. 2 Front and back lobes of dorsal face of thorax orange, lateral faces black. Pronotum orange. 3 All tibiae ringed apically with black. 4 Often larger than the other Athalia species. Athalia scutellariae 1 Lateral and ventral faces of thorax orange except for the mesepimeron and metapleuron. 2 All lobes of dorsal face of thorax black. Pronotal shoulders orange. 3 All tibiae ringed apically with black but front tibiae usually only faintly. 4 Waterside species close to skullcap foodplant. Athalia bicolor 1 Lateral and ventral faces of thorax black. 2 All lobes of dorsal face of thorax black. Pronotal shoulders dark/orange. 3 Only hind tibiae ringed apically with black. Coxae black at least basally. 4 First tergite of abdomen black. Athalia lugens 1 Lateral and ventral faces of thorax orange except for black propleuron. 2 All lobes of dorsal face of thorax black. Pronotal shoulders orange. 3 Hind tibiae darkened for much of its length fading from apex to base. Athalia cordata 1 Lateral and ventral faces of thorax extensively black. Mesopleura sometimes with a small orange spot. 2 All dorsal lobes of thorax black. Pronotal shoulders orange. 3 All tibiae ringed apically with black. 4 Often found around bugle and ground ivy often with other species. Athalia circularis 1 Lateral and ventral faces of thorax variable from extensively black to with a large orange spot on the mesopleura. 2 All dorsal lobes of thorax black. Pronotal shoulders orange. 3 Either hind tibiae only, or hind and mid tibiae with black at the apices. Athalia liberta/cornubiae agg. 1 Lateral and ventral faces of thorax entirely orange. 2 All lobes of dorsal face of thorax black. Pronotal shoulders orange. 3 All tibiae darkened at apex. 4 A. cornubiae associated with stonecrop food plants. A. liberta more widely distributed. Athalia ancilla 1 The only Athalia species where more than the basal one third of the costal and sub-costal veins are yellow. 2 Associated with wet places. .